Friday, 9 September 2016

New Electrostars Enter Service with GWR

The first two of 45 Class 387, or GWR Electrostar have entered service. They will provide
an additional 1,400 seats between Hayes & Harlington and London
Paddington at the busiest times every day for commuters. Further
improvements will be seen across the Thames Valley as the trains
gradually replace the Turbo trains currently in use in the region.

Great Western Railway managing director, Mark Hopwood said:

“The Thames Valley is one of the most popular rail corridors in the UK.

“We have promised the current fleet would be upgraded to provide much
needed additional capacity and faster journey times, and I am delighted
to say the first of these new electric trains will come into service in
just a matter of days.”

The trains will deliver consistent, high quality travel for customers
across the Thames Valley, offering at-seat power sockets, air
conditioning, extra luggage space and free WiFi for customers. They can
be run in four, eight and 12 carriage formations, with the latter
providing 97 more seats per train than the longest Turbo today.

The move is part of the biggest fleet upgrade in a generation on the
Great Western network, helping to drive improved journey times,
increased capacity and greater comfort.
Rail Minister Paul Maynard said:

“We are making the biggest investment in the railways since the
Victorian era to modernise the network and deliver better journeys.

“The introduction of Great Western Railway’s first new Class 387 trains
built by Bombardier in Derby is a great example of our investment. It
will offer more seats, greater comfort and better reliability for
passengers.”

GWR finalised a multi-million pound deal with train manufacturer
Bombardier and leasing company Porterbrook in July 2016 for 37 Class 387
four-carriage trains, joining eight already ordered by GWR, and they
will replace the current fleet of Turbo trains.

The existing Turbo trains will be cascaded to other parts of the GWR
network, providing additional capacity where it is needed most.

No comments:

Post a Comment

The Focus Transport website is intended to appeal to those that have a broad interest in public transport.

We cover topical news items and display high quality photographs relating to the current transport scene and also show archive material from slides and prints that are relevant to the subjects under review.

We publish in-depth articles about transport issues and welcome contributions from anyone who has suitable material.